Montclair Dental CareAppointments: (510) 339-2792

Kenneth Childers D.D.S.

Montclair Dental Care

For comfortable tooth cleaning in the Oakland, California area, Dr. Kenneth Childers is known for having a gentle touch. The friendly team at Montclair Dental Care provides dental hygiene treatments for a whiter smile.

Maintaining good dental hygiene is the foundation for healthy teeth and gums. We're committed to helping you have a lifetime of oral health.

For comfortable dental hygiene treatment in the Oakland, California area, Dr. Kenneth Childers is known for having a gentle touch. The friendly team at Montclair Dental Care provides teeth cleaning for a whiter smile.

Maintaining good dental hygiene is the foundation for healthy teeth and gums. We're committed to helping you have a lifetime of oral health.

If you're looking for dentures that look great and last, look no further than Montclair Dental Care located in the Oakland, CA area. Kenneth Childers, D.D.S. will assess your needs and fit you with durable, comfortable, natural-looking dentures - at a price you can afford.

Montclair Dental Care is a trusted Oakland area NTI-tss plus provider. Our highly-trained team fit you with a custom bite guard designed to relieve headaches and migraines caused by jaw clenching during sleep.

Each person is unique. Our experienced team will provide you with the individualized care you deserve for your situation.

You've probably heard that a root canal procedure can be an uncomfortable experience. At Montclair Dental Care, located in Oakland, CA area, that's not the case. Dr. Kenneth Childers numbs the tooth so you simply won't feel any pain, and you'll find that there is very little discomfort afterwards.

Request an Appointment With Montclair Dental Care

Advanced Technology DentistryAppointments: (510) 530-7000

Eric Yabu D.D.S.

Advanced Technology Dentistry

New and safe sedation dentistry with Oakland area sedation dentist Dr. Eric Yabu means you can have years of dental treatments done quickly while you're lightly sedated, with little or no discomfort. If you've been putting up with discomfort, hiding your smile, or delaying scheduling dental work because you're too busy, your life is about to change. Make a sedation dentistry consultation appointment today with Dr. Yabu.

At Advanced Technology Dentistry we aim to maximize your insurance benefits and make any remaining balance easily affordable. Oakland area dentist Dr. Eric Yabu and his knowledgeable staff can help answer any of your insurance questions.

We accept most insurance carriers. Please check with us prior to your appointment, but it's safe to say we likely accept the type of insurance you carry.

Request an Appointment With Advanced Technology Dentistry

Pacific Dental GroupAppointments: (510) 601-6500

Thomas Zavattero D.D.S.

Pacific Dental Group

If you're interested in natural-looking bridges and dentures, look no further than Thomas Zavattero, D.D.S. who practices in the Oakland, California area. Using modern materials and techniques, Dr. Zavattero can achieve the natural look you seek. You will be very pleased with the comfortable, long-lasting results.

In order to maintain your oral health, it's important to schedule regular dental check-ups. Don't wait until something is wrong to make an appointment with Oakland area dentist Dr. Thomas Zavattero. At Pacific Dental Group, we provide comfortable and thorough checkups. By catching and correcting a potential dental problem early, Dr. Zavattero can save you vast amounts of time, discomfort, and expense.

If you are missing one or more teeth, you'll want to talk with Oakland area dental implant dentist Dr. Thomas Zavattero about replacements that look and feel as natural as your own teeth. If dentures are causing you problems, you may consider dental implants. Unlike dentures, which can be removed, Dr. Zavattero offers dental implants that are permanently anchored into the jaw itself.

One of the first things people notice is your smile. All it takes is a single appointment or two with Oakland area dentist Thomas Zavattero, D.D.S., and you, too, can have the winning, healthy-looking smile you've always wanted. The beautiful cosmetic results you'll get from Pacific Dental Group can be immediate and dramatic!

What Occurs During A Dental Examination

During a dental examination, the dentist examines the soft tissues of the mouth for any abnormalities or pathology (including oral cancer), the teeth for tooth decay or defects, the gum tissues for periodontal (gum) disease, the neck for swollen lymph nodes, the amount of plaque, tartar, and debris on teeth, as well as the need to replace any missing teeth or dental prostheses. Regular examinations by a dentistry professional are crucial to maintaining your dental health and are a necessity in any dental care plan.

Dentists begin the dental examination with a complete dental and medical history, including medications the patient is currently taking. The skin of the face and neck is examined for any abnormalities, especially pigment changes. The lymph nodes in front and behind the ears, under the floor of the mouth and chin, and the midline of the neck, sides, and back of the neck are palpated to determine if any swelling or tenderness is present.

Inside of the mouth, the lips, cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth are inspected and palpated. During this process, the tip of the tongue is placed on the roof of the mouth just behind the upper teeth for inspection of the front floor of the mouth and sides of the tongue.

The back floor of the mouth, the area behind the lower wisdom teeth, and the back sides of the tongue are inspected by grasping the tip of the tongue with a small gauze sponge and pulling the tongue forward and toward the opposite side of the mouth.

To inspect the back of the throat, soft palate, and tonsil area (sides of the throat), the tongue is depressed with a dental mirror or tongue blade and then a deep breath is taken by the patient.

To detect swelling on the floor of the mouth, the area inside the mouth is felt with the finger of one hand while a finger of the other hand feels below the chin. Salivary gland enlargement, saliva flow, or xerostomia (dry mouth) are determined by milking the major salivary glands to assess the quantity and consistency of saliva.

Today's dentist has many analytic tools available to pinpoint dental and oral diseases. The basic tools are the dental instruments, lights, and radiographs (X-rays). Depending upon the dentist and the individual's dentistry needs, additional diagnostic tests are available. Testing for essential proteins and buffering capacity can evaluate the protective ability of saliva.

To determine tooth decay risks, microbiological testing of saliva can measure the level of decay-producing organisms. Periodontal susceptibility tests, which test for the DNA of gum disease-producing organisms, can be performed to assess an individual's risk for gum disease.

If removable dentures are present, dentists check them for bite, retention, stability, and overall fit. Dental impressions or models also may be taken to study the mouth and tooth structures to initiate fabrication of prostheses. Photographs may be exposed for a variety of reasons, including before and after treatment comparisons.

The level of oral hygiene and home dental care practices are assessed and reviewed. Recommendations for home care devices and products may be made. Instruction and methods for maintaining a good oral hygiene regimen can also take place.

Once basic information about dental health status is gathered, the dentist will be better able to discuss dental care plans that are available.

By Denise J. Fedele, DMD, MS

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

TMJ - Malocclusion Of The Mouth

The term malocclusion literally means "bad bite." It is a generalized dental care term that refers to many different types of mal-relationships of the lower teeth to the upper teeth. In popular usage, any arrangement of the teeth that is at variance with a prescribed ideal is considered to be a malocclusion in dentistry. But that is an oversimplification because some occlusions that appear to be ideal may be in disharmony with the jaw joints (the TMJs). Such disharmony can be a source of many different problems with the teeth, the TMJs, or the jaw muscles. Even minute disharmonies of the bite can be a major factor in loosening the teeth, wearing away of the enamel, or fracturing off cusps. Other malocclusions can cause headaches or cause the teeth to be sore or sensitive to cold. Some malocclusions may be most noticeable because they result in an unattractive smile. Some severe malocclusions cause no discomfort whatsoever, while some minor bite problems can be a major source of pain.

Perhaps the best way to understand malocclusion is to understand what an ideal occlusion is. This understanding starts with a basic appreciation for how the jaw joints (the TMJs) function. The TMJs are important because they form the hinge for opening or closing the jaw. During closure in an ideal occlusion, the teeth should all contact simultaneously and with equal pressure when the jaw joints are fully seated up in their sockets. This harmony between the TMJs and the teeth is the most important requirement for a comfortable, stable bite. Any disharmony between the TMJs and the teeth requires the jaw muscles to hold the jaw joint out of its socket in order to completely close the teeth together. This type of malocclusion can cause many different problems but unfortunately the disharmony is easily missed unless the dentist is very careful in examining for it. It is commonly missed because the occlusion is examined visually without first verifying that the jaw joints are completely seated when the bite relationship is examined.

Depending on the type of malocclusion, correction of a bite disharmony requires careful selection from a variety of different treatment procedures. Even though principles of bite correction have been established with enough clarity to permit highly predictable results of comfort and stability, some dental educators claim that occlusal harmony is unimportant because the body can adapt. This viewpoint has resulted from a profuse amount of misinformation that has found its way into the literature. Patients with bite problems should feel free to ask the dentist to show them the problems that are resulting from the bad bite such as loose teeth, excessive tooth wear, or other visible signs, in addition to an understandable explanation of why the recommended treatment was selected.

The most common, and also the most practical methods for correcting most minor occlusal disharmonies is called occlusal equilibration. It involves direct reshaping of the biting surfaces by grinding and polishing selected tooth surfaces that interfere with comfortable jaw movements. When correctly done on properly selected patients, it is a conservative and effective treatment.

Some malocclusions may require more extensive treatment such as orthodontics. Teeth that are badly worn or that need the biting surfaces re-shaped may need dental crowns or other types of restorations. Surgical correction may be needed in some severe jaw misalignments to achieve the best result and appearance.

Most malocclusions can be corrected in a reversible trial approach by making a plastic appliance that fits over the teeth to change the biting surfaces so the jaw can close with even tooth contacts. These appliances are referred to as occlusal splints. A fancier name for them is "orthosis" but it means the same thing.

The important thing to understand about your bite is that you should be able to close your teeth together and squeeze very hard without causing any sign of tenderness or pain in any tooth or in the jaw joint. If you can't do this you probably have a malocclusion. You should know that the discomfort is almost always correctable with the right selection of treatment. Your dentist must also examine for other possible causes of pain that may exist in combination with your bite disorder. Nothing takes the place of a carefully made examination to determine the specific cause (or causes) for your discomfort.